May 01, 2024

Pharmacists key to improving Indigenous health

29 minutes

Funding pharmacists to play a bigger role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s healthcare could deliver improved outcomes while saving money, pharmacist Atinuke Abraham from the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, tells our podcast.

In the latest edition of the AJP podcast, our host, Carlene McMaugh, speaks to Abraham, about the opportunities that exist for pharmacists to educate and support Indigenous patients to self-manage conditions, including diabetes.

The topics covered include:

Improving medication management (2 min 00)

Optimising the role of pharmacists in diabetes management (2:45)

Legislation is limiting pharmacists’ scope of practice (3:29)

Pharmacists can help educate Indigenous communities that diabetes is preventable (6:40)

Access to medication remains a problem for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (8:56)

Pharmacists need to deliver culturally safe care (9:20)

Inconsistencies in rules around Closing the Gap (CtG) prescriptions (15:45)

Abraham’s 8CPA wishlist (17:45)

Pharmacists are limited by not having access to the MBS (23:50)

Indigenous health providers would hire pharmacists if funding was available (26:13)

Go here for the full list of active AJP podcasts. These can also be accessed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify